D.C. 911 call takers to be retrained after hang-up incident

WASHINGTON – D.C. officials say 911 call takers in the city will receive retraining following an incident in which a woman reporting an attempted robbery says she was hung up on and reached a recorded message.

The woman called 911 Sunday after she says someone wearing a ski mask pulled a gun on her in Northeast. She tells ABC 7 she was hung up on and on one attempt, she reached a recording.

The D.C. Office of Unified Communications says only a call taker’s voice could be heard on recordings of the calls, which may mean the woman’s phone was muted or there could have been a problem with cell service.

Still, officials tell ABC 7 the call takers did not call the number back or send a text message to the phone, and that all “OUC Emergency Operations employees will be retrained on these policies and processes.”